Angels left fielder Mike Trout is batting .263 after a slow start this season, but in 2012 he hit .326 to rank fourth in the majors. / Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports

by Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

by Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the day baseball's future arrived, as the Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper made his major league debut and the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout got called up to stay.

Both outfielders went on to win rookie of the year honors in their respective leagues, and their paths figure to be forever intertwined as two of the most exciting talents the game has seen. USA TODAY Sports' Jorge L. Ortiz takes a look at the trajectory their careers have taken and where they might be headed.

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Over 162 games

Harper played the 162nd game of his career Saturday, and a full season's worth of his stats looks like this: .284 batting average, 31 home runs, 77 RBI, 19 steals and an .874 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. Harper put up the majority of those numbers as a teenager; he turned 20 on Oct.16.

Before Sunday, Trout had also played in 162 games over the last two years, in addition to the 40 from his debut season of 2011. The combined stats from 2012 and 2013 read like this: .318 batting average, 32 home runs, 95 RBI, 53 steals and an OPS of .937.

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Rookie evolution

The Angels went 83-59 after Trout arrived, as he produced numbers never before seen from a player in his age-20 season (he turned 21 on Aug.7). Trout was the first major leaguer of any age to hit 30 homers, steal 45 bases and score 125 runs in the same season. And he hardly ever hit a lull, batting .284 or better in four consecutive months until slowing in September (.257).

While Trout was building a strong case for American League MVP - he finished second - and became a darling of the sabermetric crowd with his combination of speed, power and superb fielding, Harper went through typical rookie ups and downs.

Harper's brash, all-out style energized the Nationals, and he made the All-Star team as a late replacement. But he endured a nearly two-month slump in which he batted .204 in a 51-game stretch between mid-June and mid-August. He then bounced back with a big September - .330, seven homers and 14 RBI - that served as testament to his ability to adjust to major league pitchers.

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Who would you take?

The super-hyped Harper might have gotten the early nod last year in bar-room debates over who was the superior player, but Trout soon raced ahead with his overall brilliance, including several stunning catches.

Now Harper is gaining converts.

While Trout seems to have come down to earth - he's batting .263 with two home runs, 12 RBI, a .754 OPS and four steals - Harper has continued on his torrid pace from late last season. He's leading the National League with a .360 batting average and an other-worldly 1.200 OPS, and his nine homers rank second.

Moreover, Harper has been moved into the third spot in the batting order, a tacit acknowledgment that he's the Nationals' best hitter. As a result, his run-producing opportunities are bound to increase. And after spending time at all three outfield spots last season, Harper has settled in as a left fielder.

Trout also has been playing left field for now, but his future is clearly in center, where he can make better use of his athleticism. Trout has moved down a spot from leadoff, as the Angels shifted Peter Bourjos into that role. Eventually, Trout projects as a No.3 hitter, capable of impacting the game with his speed, power and on-base ability.

The comparisons and contrasts between Harper and Trout will provide fodder for years to come, evoking memories of the days New Yorkers debated the merits of star center fielders Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider. Heck, Harper and Trout might even inspire a popular song, just as those Hall of Famers did.